Manufacture of puddled iron



F W. SMITH.

MANUFACTURE-0F PUDDLED IRON. I

No. 257,898. Patented May 16, 1882.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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(N0 Model.) Sheets-Sheet I w. SMITH. MANUFACTURE OF PUDDLED IRON. No. 257,898. 7 Patented May16, 1882.

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UNITED STATES PATENT rrrce.

WILLIAM SMITH, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

MANUFACTURE OF PUDDLED IRON.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 257,898, dated May 16, 1882.

Application filed October 24, 1881.

(No model.)

To an whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM SMITH, of Pittsburg, county of Allegheny, State of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered a new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Puddled Iron; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, concise, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which--like letters indicating like parts-- Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a view in elevation of my improved combined Bessemer converter and puddler. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view, looking downward. Fig. 3, Sheet 2, shows a' front elevation, Figs. 1, 2, and 3 showin g the converter in horizontal position for puddling; and Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation, showing the converter in vertical position for treating the charge by the Bessemer process.

My invention relates to the manufacture of bailed or puddled iron by means of the Bessemer and puddling processes, carried on in the same chamber, vessel, or converter.

In the drawings, A represents a converterhody formed with a well, a, in its lower end, a swell or belly, a, at or about its middle zone,

and a mouth, c of about the diameter of well a. This body is constructed with an outer metallic shell, 01, having a lining or fettling,d, of fire-clay, ganister, or other suitable materials. The air-chestB is secured to the body by means of a flange, 11 formed on the lower end of shell cl, and a cap or ring, D, which is bolted or otherwise secured to the rim 1) of the airchest, and extends over the flange d also, the periphery ot'flange d projects into a groove, 1), made in the inner face of rim 1). In order to secure the requisite tightness of joint withoutexcessive friction between the flange d ring I), and groove b the adjacent faces of these parts are ground or turned true and smooth. As thus connected, the body A of the converter is free to be rotated on its longitudinal axis while the air -chest' B remains stationary. Tuyeres a, supported by transverse bars or in other suitable way, are arranged in the lower end of body A for admitting blast to the converter. These tuyeres fill' the end which they occupy, and rotate with the converter-body independent of air'chest B. A chamber, 0, is made in this air-chest under the tuyeres, which is supplied by an air-pipe, 0, leading from the periphery of the air-chest to the hollow or pipe-like trunnion E, from which suit-, able pipe-connections may lead to any suitable blast apparatus. A valve, 0 in pipe 0 may be used to open or close the pipe-passage as required. A branch-pipe, C, having'valve c3, 6

may also lead off from pipe 0 or from chamber G,'for purposes presently to be described.

-The'converter is mounted or supported as follows: Aband, I, surrounds and is secured to the outer surface of body A, in or near the plane or 6 5 zone of b'elly a. On the periphery of this band is a circumferential tongue, 2', which fits into or is received by a groove, e,made in the inner edge of a rim, F, which also surrounds the converter in the plane of band I. This rim F is by preference made in two parts or plates, ff, which are securely bolted together. 'On' the rim are cast or otherwise secured trunnions E E, which have journal -bearings on frames H of sufficient height to permit free ro- 7 5 tation of the converter on its trunnions; also, the tongue-andgroove connection between band I and rim F permits free rotation of the converter-body on its longitudinal axis. Ro-

tary movement on trunnions E E is effected by means of a gear-wheel, K, seeured on the extended end of trunnion E, and a rack, K which gears with wheel K and receives reciprocating motion from any suitable hydraulic or steam motor, such as are commonly used 3:

for such purposes. This movement on trunnions E E is designed for tipping the converter from vertical to horizontal positions, and reverse, and it may be locked in such p0 sitions by ratchet m and pawl m, the former c being secured on trunnion E and the latter being pivoted on frame H. (See Fig. 1.)' In order, however, to providemore substantial support for the converter in its horizontal position, and also to remove pressure and friction 9 5 from band I and rim F, I make use of trucks N N, which are run into and out of position on the tracks T T, laid for the purpose. Rollers n a are mounted on the frames. of these trucks in proper position and relation to form bearings for the converter at or near its ends, 7 (see Figs. 1 and 3,) and thereby facilitate axial rotation of the converter-body. In tipping the converter to its horizontal position the mouth is depressed below the horizontal sufficiently to permit the truck N to be run into place, when the mouth is again raised and the truck N is run into place.

Rotary motion on its axis or within the rim F is given to the converter-body as follows: A power-sh aft, R, mounted on bracket 1", gears by pinion r. with bevel-wheel R, which latter wheel is mounted idle on trunnion E; also, a bevel-pinion, s, mounted on counter-shaft 8, gears with wheel It, and, through pinion S and gear S, gives the desired motion to the converter. This may be a continuous rotary motion; or by reversing at proper intervals it may be made an oscillating motion.

Instead ofwheelsSS',band-wheels orsheave- .pulleys w to may be used with a suitable cable or band for giving motion to the converter, as described.

When in its horizontal position the mouth of the converter is closed by a door, P, which is moved into and out of position by pulleyhangersp and track-rail P. A bar, P in front of the door serves to guide the door and hold it in position. These bars P P may be supported from the bed of the plant in any concharge. .the converter-body, and permits of free rotary .venient way. Flues p p are passed through the door 1?, one of which, as p, has suitable pipe-connections with apparatus for supplying hydrogen gas or carbureted hydrogen to the converter, while the other, 19 connects with a suitable escape-flue. The door may be made of any suitable materials adapted to withstand a high degree of heat. In its lower edge is a rabble-hole, a, designed to admit the tools usually employed in hand-puddling, and thereby enable a workman to use such tools in assisting in the puddling and balling of the The door is mounted independent of movement of the latter, the door P and air- .chestB being stationary during such move- 45.

ment.

In operation a charge of molten metal is introduced into the converter and an air-blast turned 011 in the way usually practiced in car- .rying out the Bessemer operation.

The refinement and reduction of metal incident to such operation or treatment is continued until the carbon is removed to the degree requisite for making into wrought-iron. To this point the use of the apparatus is substantially the same shown in Fig.4. IVhen the charge has in this way been refined and reduced to the desired as in the beginning of the Bessemer process, the converter being in vertical position, as

, degree for the purposes named the air-blast is shut ofi' by valve 0 or otherwise, and the converter is turned upon its trunnions by rack and wheel K K into horizontal position, as .;;represented in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and is there i supported by the trucks N N, as before described. This being done, the door P is moved in front of, so as to close, the mouth a of the converter, as shown in Fig. 3, and the described connections are made with fines p and 19 through which a supply of hydrogen or carbureted-hydrogen gas is admitted into the converter and onto and over the surface of the metal therein, which metal, upon the tipping of the converter, flows from the well a into the belly a. The presence of such hydrogen gas assists materiallyin refining the iron, and also in maintaining the requisite degree of heat within the converter to enable the puddling and balling to be performed with success. Instead, however, of admitting gas throngh'flue p, as described, suitable pipe-connections may be made from branch pipe 0 to the gas-supply, whereby such gas may be admitted through tuyeres 0 into the converter. In such construction the fines 1) may be omitted or be used as escape-fines, though ordinarily the fine 11 will be found adequate for purposes of escape. While the heat is thus maintained by the inflowing gas the body A of the converter is rotated or oscillated on its axis, as before described, whereby the effects of mechanical puddling and balling are produced on the charge of metal. Such mechanical puddling may be and by preference is assisted by hand-paddling, as before described, and thereby a material advantage is secured over those furnaces which depend for puddlin g and balling upon mechanical means alone. When the charge of metal is thus balled in proper condition for rolling, the rotary motion of the converter is arrested, the door P is moved from in front of the converter-mouth, and the puddled ball is removed by depressing this end of the converter. The apparatus is then ready for another charge.

I am aware that it is not new with me to employ a converter in a vertical position for refining a charge of metal by an air-blast, and then, tipping such converter to a horizontal position, to give it rotary motion on its longitudinal axis to puddle the charge; and I make no claim herein to such features of construction alone considered, my invention relating more particularly to certain improvements in construction by which such double use of a converter is facilitated.

While I have described the use of the airblast for decarbonizing purposes I do not limit myself in this respect to any particular length of time during which this part of the operation may be continued, as, in fact, it may be continued only long enough to raise the temperature of the metal till it becomes highly fluid, say for only a few seconds. Carbon will of course be thus eliminated; but the most of the decarbonizing work may best be done in the paddling operation referred to.

I claim as my invention- 1. The converter-body A, in combination with band I, rim F, trunnions E E, and supports H, whereby the body has rotary movement on both its transverse and longitudinal axes, as described, and with an air-supply chest, C, loosely secured to the body, as described, whereby snch air-supply chest is movable with the hodyon its transverse axis, but

stationary with relation to rotary movement of the body on its longitudinal axis, and tuyeres a, substantially as set forth.

2. A converter-body, A, having a surrounding flange, (1 at its bottom end, in combination with chambered bottom B, having rim 1), cap or band. I), tuyeres 0, such bottom being adapted to permit axial rotation of the converter-body, the bottom being stationary, and blast-pipe O, substantially asZset forth.

3. A converter, A, having a band, I, with a tongue z, surrounding and secured to its mid- 

